Razor-blade sharpener



Dec. 11, 1928. I 1,694,544

6. L. JAMES RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER Filed Nov. 4, 1925 I N VEN TOR.

CY/A/PLES 1... JAMES ATTORNEYS. 4

*atented Dee. ll, 1928 CHARLES L. JAMES, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

RAZOR-BLADE SI-IARPENER.

Application filed November This invention relates to devices for sharpening or stropping safety razor blades of the double edge variety. The objects of the invention are to provide a device of the character mentioned which will be extremely cheap to manufacture, easy to use, and which will automatically strop both edges of double edge blades and be especially adaptable for the stropping of the thin flexible blades as as supplied for the Gillette safety razor.

I attain the objects outlined by the construction shown in the accon'ipanying drawings and in which,

Figure 1 is an end elevation of my device, Figure 2 a similar view in cross section showing a blade and strop in place, Figure 3 a bottom view of Figure 1, and Figure l a perspective view of the tilting carriage removed from the frame of the device.

In further detail my device comprises a frame having spaced sides 1 and a connect plate 2 from which projects a threaded stud 3 adapted for screwing thereto of a standard safety razor handle as dotted at l.

The sides of the frame are spaced by shoulder rivets 5 carrying loose rollers 6 and within the sides of the frame a tiltable carriage 7 having a pin 8 fixed to the carriage and terminating in a pair of trunnions S) freely revolvablein apertures formed in the sides 1 of the frame.

The lower and upper surfaces respectively of the pin 8 and rollers 6 are substantially in a line so that when a leather strop is threaded between them, as at 10 in l i 'ure 2, the upper surface of the strop will if 'c tionally engage the pin 8 wlnle the lower surface of the strop will engage the rollers 6.

The carriage 7 has a pair of lugs 11 for centralizing a double edge flexible razor blade 12 placed thereon and is provided with a clamping plate 18 hinged to the carriage at 14, apertured to fit over the lugs 11 and adapted to clamp the blade in place against the carriage and lock under spring clip 15.

The plate 13 is of spring metal slightly arched, as seen in Figure 4 where it is shown 4, 1925. Serial No. 66,700.

open, so that when closed againstthe blade it will force the same into firm contact with the carriage. To remove the blade it is simply necessary to press back the clip 15 with the linger nail and the clamping plate will spring outwardly from the blade as indicated in Figure 4 and may then be swung entirely to the left of the carriage so that the blade may be freely removed, or another one inserted.

In operation, the strop being held in tens sion, the device with a blade in place as described is simply worked back and forth, the friction of the strep against the pin 8 which is fixed to the carriage causing the carriage to alternately tip to throw opposite edges of the blade alternately into contact with the strop.

The edges of the blade follow the path indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2 and the arrangement insures that the proper or dragging edge only will contact the strop at a given direction of stroke and be instantly lifted from the strop upon reverse movement.

I have only dotted the handle in my drawings for in order to reduce the invention 7 to the minimum cost one feature of the invention is to provide for the use of the handle customarily supplied with the safety razor of the blades being sharpened by the device.

I claim:

In a razor blade sharpening device of the character described, a tiltable blade holding ycarriage, said carriage being provided with an under and outer plate adapted for clamping the blade therebetween, the outer plate being hinged to the under plate and the under plate provided with ends extending substantially at right angles away from the outer plate, and a bar lying parallel and spaced from said under plate passing through said ends, said under plate being of spring sheet metal and one of its ends split to form a spring lip overlying the free end of the outer plate. CHARLES L. JAMES 

